Roughly a year and a half ago, football at Penn State University was left for dead following the unprecedented sanctions handed down by the NCAA.

Winning more than two or three games seemed laughable, let alone finishing .500 for a program that ranks 12th nationally in all-time victories (729).

Happy Valley was upside down, with a very dim light at the end of the tunnel.

Enter Bill O'Brien.

The first-year head coach not only shouldered the burden of a shaken community, he led the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record in 2012, picking Penn State up off the mat alongside players and coaches committed to seeing things through.

Ironically, the scenario has unfolded very similar to last year, with a prestigious opponent traveling to Beaver Stadium for what is the equivalent of a bowl game for Penn State.

Yes, the Nittany Lions (6-4) must still make the trip to Wisconsin for the regular season finale next week, but, considering the circumstances, Saturday will ultimately define PSU's year.

With the four-year bowl ban imposed by the NCAA still intact, it's the closest thing the 2013 Nittany Lions will have to a playoff game. Not only does a victory over the Cornhuskers guarantee a winning season, it's the last time this specific cast will play in front of a Beaver Stadium crowd surely expected to exceed 100,000.

Aside from it being the home finale, it's also Senior Day. And, it's a game that the Nittany Lions have a legitimate shot at winning.

Next week on the road against the 19th-ranked Badgers, not so much.

Penn State is 5-1 at home this year compared to 0-3 as the visitor. The season-opening win against Syracuse was played at a neutral site. In their three Big Ten road losses, the Nittany Lions have been outscored 131-48. Needless to say, the importance of beating Nebraska (7-3) on Saturday cannot be understated.

It has the potential to be a sequel to last year's 'bowl' game, when Penn State capped its home schedule with a 24-21 overtime win against Wisconsin.

Then, the atmosphere was electric. Saturday, a 'playoff' mentality is again expected.

On paper, it's a pretty equal match-up. Against common Big Ten opponents, both PSU and Nebraska have beaten Michigan, Illinois and Purdue while both fell to 25th-ranked Minnesota.

The Cornhuskers will be without senior quarterback Taylor Martinez, who has handled the signal caller duties since his freshman year. In turn, Nebraska has relied heavily on running back Ameer Abdullah, who leads the conference with 133.6 yards per game.

Page 2 of 2 - For a Penn State defense that has been suspect throughout the year, containing Abdullah will undoubtedly be priority No. 1.

Continuing to progress in O'Brien's offense, quarterback Christian Hackenberg has lived up to the hype.

The true freshman, who remained committed to PSU despite the sanctions, ranks second in the conference in completions (194) and third in passing yards, averaging 239 per game.

Hackenberg's development has been aided by one of the nation's best receivers in Allen Robinson while benefiting from a solid running game comprised of Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton.

Announced as a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award this week, which recognizes the best wide receiver in college football, Robinson has already set new single-season PSU records in receptions and yardage, hauling in 81 catches for 1,204 yards through 10 games.

Only a junior, Robinson is tied for third on Penn State's career receptions list (161), only 18 behind Deon Butler's all-time mark of 179.

Should Robinson elect to complete his senior year instead of enter the NFL Draft, Bobby Engram's career receiving yardage record is certainly within reach (3,026), with Robinson currently sitting fourth at 2,246.

On the ground, Zwinak and Belton serve as excellent complements to one another, with Zwinak's power equaling Belton's speed. The two have nearly identical numbers, with Belton carrying 154 times for 796 yards to Zwinak's 153 carries for 725 yards. Zwinak, who's bigger stature is used frequently in goal-line situations, leads the team with 12 rushing touchdowns.

Such balance has the Nittany Lions averaging 29.3 points per game. At home, the average improves to 37.0, thus making Penn State a 2-point favorite entering Saturday's showdown against Nebraska according to the odds makers in Vegas.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on Big Ten Network.